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Recommitting to Vinyl

After setting aside his vinyl collection for thirty years, Audiogon’s President, Steve Clay, is delving back into it. Naturally, we shot a few sidelong glances at each other and asked if he was sure he wanted to go down that road again. Will Steve’s decision affect all of us negatively if his journey leads to frustration and “over the budget” spending? Based on feedback we get from members about setting up a turntable and the associated must-haves for good sound reproduction, apprehension is a natural reaction. At Rocky Mountain Audio Fest last October, we spoke with a couple who admitted that the “hunt for the perfect vinyl recording is an addiction at best, and at worst, it can be a soul-sucking exercise in futility.”

The Audiogon staff humbly requests any advice about from our members as to the tips and tricks of exploring this playback method without losing one’s shirt or mind. Not the most mechanically-inclined person, we’ve heard that Steve’s having trouble getting the arm (92) on his Thorens 2015 table level so that it tracks accurately across the entire record. Any seasoned turntable aficionado in Greenville, SC who volunteers to help Steve would probably earn some free listings at Audiogon!

We want Steve to write about his experiences during this new audio adventure, but so far, he’s been evasive. Help us encourage him to write a tell all!

Fresh out of the box!

Below are comments from members to help jump start your responses.

Eee3 said, “You have to establish a budget before anyone else can realistically help you.”

Dan_ed stated, “The table, arm, phono, and cartridge all make a difference. There’s no easy solution so you’ll need to spread your budget to find the right combination. This is true whether your budget is 2K or 25K.”

From Ebm, “Jump on vinyl now.”

And nearly everyone commented that a good record cleaner is a worthwhile investment. Even dealers tell us that audio nervosa can rear its ugly head for anyone recommitting to vinyl. How do you keep your head about you? What steps are required to achieve “success” in this pursuit? Is this transition from digital worth it sonically? What are your vinyl stories? What changed for you both negatively and positively? Please share your thoughts with the Audiogon community in the comment section below.